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Menus and 

Miscellaneo us Receipts 



VIRGINIA M. MEYER 
























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SIMPLE MENUS FOR 

INFORMAL AFFAIRS 


VIRGINIA M. MEYER 

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Author of 


“EVENING SUPPERS” 

"SMALL TALKS ON CARD GAMES” 
“NEW BIDS OF AUCTION BRIDGE” 
“HOW TO BECOME A GOOD CARD PLAYER” 
ETC., ETC., ETC. 


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WOMAN'S EXCHANGE BUILDINO 
2X1-27 ADAMS AVE. EAST 
ROOM 3 

DETROIT, MICHIGAN 





COPYRIGHTED BY 
VIRGINIA M. MEYER 
1916 


• JUL 15 1916 

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Noth. The only claim made for this Booklet 
is the one the title page suggests. All the com¬ 
binations are original and the new recipes have 
boon tested. All questions will be cheerfully 
and carefully answered when sent with a stamp¬ 
ed envelope. 


Luncheons 

Individual taste may be used in serving 
the necessary things that add so much to 
a luncheon. Every hostess has her pet 
rolls and sandwiches—relishes and con¬ 
serves—beverages—desserts and cakes. 

These luncheons may be made more 
elaborate by adding a soup and entree. 

1 . 

Creamed Chicken 
Potato Nut Croquettes 
Sardine Salad 
Canton Ginger Jelly 

Potato Nut Croquettes—To 2 cups 
mashed potatoes add x /i cup each ground 


nut meats and bread crumbs, the well 
beaten yolks of 3 eggs, % cup of cream. 
Mix together, season to taste and add the 
well-beaten whites of the eggs. Shape as 
desired and cook in deep, hot lard. 

Canton Ginger Jelly—When lemon 
jelly is about to set fold in the beaten 
whites of 3 eggs and ^ cup of shredded 
Canton Ginger. Serve with whipped 
cream. 


2 . 

Chops 

Potatoes au Gratin 
Aspic of Tomatoes and Peas 
Grapefruit Shortcake 

Aspic of Tomatoes and Peas—When a 
tomato aspic is beginning to thicken add 
the peas and put in individual moulds. 
Serve on lettuce leaves with mayonnaise 
dressing. 

Grapefruit Shortcake — Made as any 
other shortcake and served with the fol¬ 
lowing sauce: Boil juice and pulp of 3 
grapefruits, 1 cup of water, 1 tablespoon¬ 
ful of butter and a pinch of salt. Thicken 
with 1 tablespoonful of cornstarch mixed 
with a little water till smooth. Cook a 
little longer and then pour it over a well- 
beaten egg yolk, stirring constantly till 
well mixed. Flavor with vanilla. 


4 


3. 


Scollops or Fish Cutlets 
Creamed Potatoes 
Lobster Salad 
Surprise Dessert 

Surprise Dessert—Bake 3 layers of 
cake in long tins. Between the layers 
put generous filling of fruit macedoine, 
adding some figs, nuts and dates. Place 
on a platter cover well filled with whip¬ 
ped cream flavored with sherry. Dot with 
bits of green maraschino cherries. 


4. 

Turkey Aspic 
Potato Souffle " 

Winter Salad 
Plum Pudding 

Winter Salad—Cut in not too small 
pieces cauliflower, celery, green peppers, 
Spanish onion, carrots and the whites of 
hard boiled eggs. Serve with French 
dressing. 

Plum Pudding Sauce—Make a very 
foamy hard sauce and add the well- 
beaten whites of eggs and flavor with 
brandy. This sauce is very nice flavored 
with fruit juice for fruit rolls or jellied 
puddings. 


5 


5. 

Chicken Breasts 
Snowflake Potatoes 
Endive Salad 
Pineapple Fluff 

Pineapple Fluff—Boil 1 can shredded 
pineapple, the juice of 1 lemon, sugar to 
taste in 1 pint of water. Add J4 cup 
of cornstarch and cook till it thickens; 
remove from the stove and while hot add 
the well-beaten whites of 3 eggs. Serve 
very cold with a custard made from the 
yolks of the eggs and flavored with 
almond. 


6 . 

Escallopcd Oysters in Rice 
Celery and Green Pepper Salad 
Macaroon Ice Cream 

Escalloped Oysters in Rice—Only par¬ 
tially cook the rice, put a layer in a bak¬ 
ing dish, then a layer of oysters (season¬ 
ing each layer), and so on till the dish is 
three-quarters full, rice on the top cov¬ 
ered with bread crumbs and grated 
cheese on the top. Cover generously 
with a thin white sauce (using some of 
the liquor from the oysters) and bake in 
a moderate oven. Be sure to allow 
enough white sauce for the rice to swell. 

Macaroon Ice Cream—Dry macaroons 


in the oven and put through a grinder. 
Place a mold of ice cream on a platter 
that has some of the crumbs on it, cover 
generously with the crumbs, and on top 
of that plenty of whipped cream that has 
been flavored with sherry. Dot with 
maraschino cherries. 


7. 

Jellied Tongue 
Escallopcd Potatoes 
Beet Salad * 

Grape Sherbet 

Beet Salad—Made as any other beet 
salad garnished with the whites of eggs, 
some of which have been colored in beet 
juice vinegar. 


8 

Sea Food a la Newbcrg 
Potatoes Julienne 
Cucumber Salad 
White Velvet 

White Velvet—The juice of 4 lemons, 
4 cups of sugar, the grated rind of 1 
lemon (boiled in a little water), and let 
stand until the sugar is well dissolved. 
Pour this into a quart of milk and freeze 
slowly. Very good. 


7 


9. 

Tomato Appetizer 
Cheese en Casserole 
Crab Meat Salad 
Swiss Cream 

Tomato Appetizer—On a round of 
toast place a slice of tomato and on top 
of that a fresh mushroom, a small piece 
of butter, some pepper and salt. Over all 
pour a spoonful of cream and bake about 
30 minutes. 

Cheese en Casserole—Cover the bot¬ 
tom of a casserole with toast that has 
been lightly spread with butter; on this 
put a layer of cheese that has been grated. 
Season with paprika, salt and a dash of 
mustard. Fill the casserole in this way, 
having cheese for the last layer. Beat 2 
eggs with a Dover beater and mix with 
enough milk to cover the whole. Bake in 
a good oven for 30 minutes. 

Swiss Cream—Let 1 pint of cream 
come to a boil. Thicken with 1 table¬ 
spoonful of cornstarch in 3 of milk. Add 
Y\ cup of sugar and y 2 lb. of candied 
cherries. Pour over y 2 lb. of macaroons. 

10 . 

Mushrooms en Casserole 
Stuffed Potatoes 
Green and White Salad 
Fruit Mousse 


Green and White Salad—Make aspic 
of veal or chicken stock. Dot the bottom 
of a mold with bits of parsley and pis¬ 
tachio nuts. When the aspic gas begins 
to set, put in a mold a little at a time, 
alternating with (that have lain in 
French dressing about an hour), thin 
slices of chicken breast, endive, celery, 
cauliflower, cucumber, whites of eggs or 
anything that is white or green. Turn 
out on lettuce leaves and garnish with 
sliced green peppers that have been 
stuffed with cream cheese well seasoned. 
Serve with salad dressing. 


11 . 

Braised Sweetbreads 
Potato and Rice Croquettes 
Pommes Surprise 
Orange Cream 

Pommes Surprise — Select even size 
large red apples, cut off the top about Y\ 
of an inch below the stem, using a very 
sharp knife. With a potato ball spoon 
scoop out the insides, being careful not 
to break the skins. Fill full with well- 
salted water, replace the tops and set 
away to cool. Fill with chopped apples, 
celery and walnuts (that have also stood 
in salted water), mixed with mayonnaise 
dressing. 


9 


Orange Cream—1 cup orange juice, 1 
cup sugar, rind of the orange grated, Yi 
package gelatine soaked in y 2 cup boiling 
water. Let all stand and thicken. W hip 
2 cups cream very stiff and fold in mix¬ 
ture. Put in glasses and decorate with 
cherries. Serve very cold. 


12 . 

Eggs a la Marguerite 
Cheese Balls 

Watercress and Orange Salad 
Frozen Eggnog 

Cheese Balls—Put cheese through the 
grinder, season to taste, add the beaten 
yolks of 3 eggs, mix well and then fold 
in the whites of 3 thoroughly beaten 
eggs. Make into balls, roll in egg and 
bread crumbs. Drop in hot lard and cook 
till brown. 


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Salads 

For all salads (except fruit) rub the 
bowl well in which the dressing is to be 
made with onion or garlic. Some people 
prefer tarragon vinegar. 

French or thin dressing is used with 
all vegetable or fruit salads. Lemon is 
better than vinegar for fruit salads. 

Cucumber is an acceptable substitute 
for celery. 

When an aspic has begun to set any 
vegetables (that have lain in French 
dressing) may be folded in and put in 
large or individual molds, to be served 
later with dressing. 

When a lemon jelly is about to set any 
fruit may be added and served with 
dressing. 

All salads should be thoroughly chilled 
before serving. 

Cooked Mayonnaise 

Beat the yolks of 4 eggs, add J4 cup 
butter, J4 cup of lemon juice or vinegar, 
mix 2 tablespoons of flour with 2 of 
water. Cook over hot water (stirring con¬ 
stantly) until it thickens. Then add 1 
teaspoon mustard, salt and cayenne to 
taste, and stir until cool. When ready to 
serve add 1 cup of cream, or half and 
half cream and oil. Excellent. 


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French Dressing 

To every 3 tablespoons of oil use 1 of 
vinegar or lemon. Mix, seasoning to taste 
with a little of the oil, then add the rest 
of the oil and the vinegar. 

Italian Salad Dressing 

Mash well 1 clove garlic. Mix well 3 
teaspoons cold water, 1 of salt and Vi 
mustard. Add 3 teaspoons catsup, 1 
Worcestershire, 3 vinegar, 1 sugar, 8 olive 
oil and 1 white wine. Strain through a 
coarse sieve and bottle. 

Mayonnaise Dressing 

To each egg yolk add I teaspoon mus¬ 
tard, Yx teaspoon salt and cayenne to 
taste. Beat until well mixed. Then add 
(a little at a time) y 2 pint olive oil. 
Care must be taken to blend each portion 
before adding more. When ready to serve 
add lemon juice until the consistency of 
cream. 


Romaine Fruit Salad 

Several leaves of romaine as a foun¬ 
dation. On this alternate portions of 
orange and grapefruit around the plate, 
leaving a hole in the center to be filled 
with bits of pineapple. On top of this 
put a pistachio nut or maraschino cherry. 

12 


Pineapple Salad 

Make a nest of shredded lettuce. On it 
put Yz lb. marshmallows and cover with 2 
cans shredded pineapple or fresh pine¬ 
apple cut in bits. Serve with a dressing 
made of lemon and sugar into which has 
been stirred the beaten whites of eggs. A 
refreshing change from other salads. 

Scollop Salad 

Cook scollops till tender. Break into 
pieces. Use l /\ as much cucumbers or 
celery and some green peppers. Season 
to taste and serve with dressing. 

Cooked Celery Salad 

Cook celery till tender (in pieces about 
as long as asparagus). Thoroughly chill. 
Mix with pimento olives cut in rings and 
a little onion. 

Oyster plant is very nice served in the 
same way. 

Green Bean and Corn Salad 

Cook green beans with a little bacon to 
flavor. When cold make a nest of them 
on lettuce leaves and fill with fresh 
green corn that has been cooked in just 
water enough to cook it (drained), or if 
canned corn is used get whole kernel 
corn well drained. Season to taste and 
serve with dressing. 

13 


Desserts 

Peaches en Masque 

Halves of preserved or fresh peaches. 
Remove some of the center, cut in small 
pieces, mix with maraschino cherries and 
fill the centers. Place in sherbet glasses, 
cover with vanilla ice cream and heap 
whipped cream on top and serve very 
cold. 

Apricots or pears mfey be used in same 
way. » 

Marshmallow Cream 

*4 lb. marshmallows cut in small 
pieces. Soak J4 lb. of candied cherries 
(cut in halves) in brandy or sherry. % 
cup walnut meats cut in small pieces. 
Whip 1 pint double cream to a stiff 
froth. Mix all into the whipped cream. 

Various Ways to Serve Ice Cream 

Place in molds with extra large rings. 
% * , 

Keep packed in salt'.and ice in the usual 
way until ready to’serve. Turn out on a 
large platter and ‘fill the ring with fresh 
fruit or berries and serve with a sauce 
made of the fruit juice. 

Fill the ring with marshmallow cream 
and serve with a wine sauce. 

Cut the center from a sponge cake, fill 
with ice cream. Put strawberries around 


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the base of the cake and at intervals put 
a heaping tablespoonful of whipped 
cream. 


Pineapple Ice Cream 

Pick out a fine large pineapple. Thor¬ 
oughly wash and cut off the top of it. 
Put it where the stems will keep fresh 
and attractive. Cut off the bottom so it 
will stand firmly on a platter. Remove 
all the fruit from the pineapple with a 
silver fork, shredding it quite fine. When 
ready to serve fill the pineapple with ice 
cream and put on the top. 

At the base of the pineapple heap the 
pineapple. On this you can also pile 
whipped cream. 

Ice Cream with Pistachio Sauce 

Philadelphia or French ice cream. 1 
cup of almonds chopped fine and burned 
in oven. The ice cream can be sliced 
(or taken from the freezer with a scoop) 
and rolled in the almonds. Serve with 
pistachio sauce. Pistachio Sauce—1 cup 
sugar, 1 scant tablespoonful arrowroot, 2 
cups boiling water, and boil all 5 min¬ 
utes. Flavor with 1 teaspoon vanilla, 
teaspoon pistachio, 2 tablespoons maras¬ 
chino. To color use Burnett’s paste. 
Serve cither hot or cold. 


15 


Gelatine Jellies 

Use extra large ring molds. When 
ready to serve fill with a macedoine of 
fruit and serve with whipped cream. 

Partly fill sherbet glasses with any 
fruit gelatine and fill the rest of the glass 
with fresh fruit and heap with whipped 
cream. 

When jellies arc about to set whipped 
cream or the beaten whites of eggs may 
be folded in. Serve with custards or wine 
sauce. 


For Afternoon Tea 

Tea Cake 

Beat 2 eggs very light, add 1 cup of 
sugar and beat well. Add 1 cup of flour 
sifted with ]/ 2 teaspoon of salt, l / 2 tea¬ 
spoon of baking powder. Add quickly l / 2 
cup hot milk, 1 tablespoon melted but¬ 
ter, 1 teaspoon vanilla and l / 2 teaspoon 
almond extract. Bake in a moderate 
oven in flat tin. Split and butter. 

Out of Sights 

To every cup of flour add 1 teaspoon 
baking powder, a little salt, a little more 
than level tablcspoonful butter and a 
little milk (later add about l / 2 cup), and 
after mixing with a knife put on a board 


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that has plenty of flour, pat with the tips 
of the fingers, spread out flat, and then 
knead a little. Mix brown sugar and but¬ 
ter as for hard sauce, spread on the paste 
and roll as for jelly cake. Cut in thin 
slices and bake in well greased tins for 
about 10 or 15 minutes. Sherry may be 
used for flavoring the hard sauce, or cin¬ 
namon may be sprinkled on before roll¬ 
ing. 

Tea Punch 

Yi cup of best green tea, grated rind of 
6 lemons, steeped in 3 pints of boiling 
water. Strain and add the juice of 9 
lemons, V /2 pints Jamaica rum. Sugar to 
taste. Place a large piece of ice in a^ 
bowl and have crushed ice to serve in 
each glass with a creme de menthe 
cherry. 

Zambaione 

Yolks of 3 eggs, 2 teaspoons granu¬ 
lated sugar, 1 glass white wine, 1 glass 
sherry, flavor with maraschino. Place 
over hot water and stir with a wire 
whisk from 3 to 5 minutes or until it is 
thick and creamy. 

This is an unusual Italian receipt used 
in a famed restaurant in San Francisco. 

Panlets 

9 

2 breakfast cups of flour, Y teaspoon 


v 


salt, J4 teaspoon soda, 54 teaspoon cream 
of tartar and 2 eggs. Sweet milk to make 
a soft batter. Bake as you would any 
large pancake. Spread with a brown 
sugar and butter hard sauce, sprinkle 
with cinnamon and roll. May be spread 
with marmalade or anything that suits 
the fancy. Very nice spread with sea¬ 
soned grated cheese. 

Date Bread 

1 cup stoned and chopped dates, 1 tea¬ 
spoon soda, 1 tablespoon butter, a pinch 
of salt, 1 egg, 1 cup of boiling water, 1 
teaspoon vanilla, 1 cup granulated sugar 
and 1J4 cups of flour. Sprinkle soda over 
dates and add boiling water. Let cool 
and add other ingredients. A few wal¬ 
nuts may be added. Bake about 1 hour 
in a moderate oven. 

Pina Fria 

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A beverage used in Cuba. A fresh pine¬ 
apple put through the grinder (or a can 
of shredded pineapple), the juice of 1 
lemon. Sweeten to taste. Serve in sher¬ 
bet glasses or high glasses. Use no water 
but plenty of crushed ice. 

Fresh fruit sandwiches served with 
punch of the same fruit is a refreshing 
collation for summer. 


An Unusual Meat Conserve 

Soak in 1 pint vinegar over night 1 box 
candied ginger, 2 lbs. raisins, lb. figs, 
i /2 lb. citron and orange peel mixed. Add 
3 onions and 1 garlic ground fine, 2 green 
and 2 red peppers cut in strips; 1 head 
celery, 6 apples and 6 pears cut in bits; 2 
lemons (do not cook the juice), using the 
rind cut thin. Add teaspoon each of 
salt, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, 
mace, mustard and nutmeg. Cook all in 
double boiler, and then add wineglass of 
brandy. Put away in jelly glasses for 
future use. This makes about 18 glasses. 


A Suggestion that will Meet with Favor 

If you want elaborate menus for more 
pretentious functions—a color scheme—an 
idea for some special occasion—sugges¬ 
tions for floral decorations—an order to be 
placed with a florist or a caterer—dainties 
or other things different from the ones 
you have in your city (everyone likes a 
change), no pains will be spared to have 
them exactly as you would wish to have 
them. 

No orders are duplicated in the same 
city except by permission. 

All letters will be promptly answered 
and have the most careful attention. 


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